Internal-combustion engine.



D. C. HATHAWAY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 2, 1908. RENEWED 001'. 6, 1909.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l l I I II l [177/ [Ill Ill/l l/l/ ll f III II ll 1/ D. G. HATHAWAY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 190a. RENEWED OUT. 6, 1909.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DALLAS G. HA'IHAWAY, OF SHELDON, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed October 2, 1908,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

To all '1 7720M it may concern:

Be it known that I, DALLAS C. HATHA- WAY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin at Sheldon, in the county of Iroquois and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and -pal object to provide a novel form ofengine in which the piston wings are driven under the impulse resultingfrom the explosion of the charge.

A further object of the invention is to rovide a rotar engine of thistype which shall be self c earingfor the purpose of positively drivingout all of the exploded gases.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rotarycompressor so arranged as to supply a charge of gas under pressurebehind each of the piston wings as soon as the win s ass beyond theentrance port.

A stil urther object of the invention is to provide a compressor of suchconstruction as to effect the formation of a partial vacuum in thechamber into which the explosive mixture is to be introduced from thecarburetor, thus insuring the full supply and this gas beingsubsequently com pressed prior to its delivery to the explosion chamberof the en ine.

A stillfurther o ject of the invention is to provide a self closingvalve in the inlet port so as to separate the explosion chamber from thecompressor.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter apear, the in vention consists in certain nove features of constructio andarrangement of parts, hereinafter ful y describe illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made withoutde artinig from the spirit or sacrificing any 0? the a vantages of theinvention.

In the accom anying drawings :Figure 1 is a sectional e evation of aninternal combustion engine constructed in accordance with the invention.Fi 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fi 1. Fig. 3 is asimilar view on the line 3- of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section onthe 7 discharge.

line 4-.4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of thepiston wings detached.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The engine casing comprises a single piece cylindrical casting 10 and apair of detachable heads 11, the latter bein provided with bearings forthe reception 0% a shaft 12 by which the power of the engine may betransmitted to any device to be operated.

Extending from the opposite sides of the main casting are lugs 13 whichmay rest on any suitable foundation for the support of the entirestructure. The main casting 10 is divided into two cylinders 14 and 15by a centrally disposed partition 16, that is also provided with abearin for the shaft 12, and this artition as we 1 as the heads and thesiren ar wall of the main casting 10 is provided with openings orrecesses 17 which are connected to permit the free circulation of wateror other coolin fluid.

The curved Wall of tie cylinder 14 is arran ed on two arcuate lines ofdifferent radii, the arc of smallest radius corres 0nding to the radiusof a piston drum 19 t at is secured to the shaft 12, while the arc of'largest radius forms with the peri hery of the piston a Working space inwhic the force is utilized in operating the engine. At the juncture ofthe arts of different radii at one side of the cylinder is an explosionchamber 20 to whichleads an inlet port 21 through which the explosivemixture passes into t e explosion chamber, and is there ignited by asparkin plug 22 of any ordinary construction, a ump spark lug beingshown in the present instance, w ile at the other side of the cylinderadjacent the juncture of. the portions of largest and smallest radii isan exhaust port 23 throu h which the waste gases may flow to a mu er orother point of The revoluble piston drum is (provided with one or moreradially dispose recesses 24 within which slide piston wings 25, saidpiston wings moving outward into engagement with the wall of largestradius in order that they may be subjected to the force of the explosionand subsequent expansion of the (gases, and being then gradually forcedinwar and they engage W1 h the cam like out through the exhaust port bythe ad vancing piston wing.

The central. portion of the inner end of each piston wing is providedwith a recess 29 for the reception of a. helical tension spring 30, theinner end of which bears against the lower wall of the recess 24. A pin31 is employed to serve as a guide for the inner portion of the spring,

The outer face and side edges of each piston wmg'are provided withgrooves for the reception of spring metal packing strips 32 of the typebest shown in 5, each of these strips having main portions 33, 34 in theform of a bell crank lever, and to each of the arms of the bell cranklever are attached parallel arms 35, 36. The strips are arranged side byside so as to overlap at a number of points and form fluid proofpacklngs which will prevent leakage of any of the gases past the pistonwing,

The charges of ex losive fluid are introduced'into the chambafterappear, and are successively exploded so as to drive the pistonwings'around in the direction of the exhaust. port. In order that thepiston wings may pass, over the explosion chamber, the walls of thechamber are extended inward to partly bridge the space between theexplosion chamber and the arcuate working s ace of the cylinder withoutinterfering with the free passage of the gas.

Secured to the shaft-12 at a point within the cylinder 15 is acylindrical piston drum 40 having a plurality of piston wings 41 movablein radial recesses formed in the piston drum' and preferably of aconstruction similar to the wings .of the actuating pistons aspreviously described. The curved wall of the cylinder 15 is divided intotwo portions having arcs of different radii, the arc of smallest radiuscorrespondi to the radius of the piston drum 40, and iiese arcuate'surfaces are connected at one side by thecam surface 43 and at theopposite side by a cam surface 44, these being so arranged as to permitthe gradual outward movement of the piston wing into the working space,and the gradual return of the piston wing from the working space intothe body of the p1ston.

Leading into the working space of the cylinder. 15 is a port 46, that isplaced in communication with a carbureter or other suitable source ofsupply, and leading from chamber of the engine.

er 201 as will herein-.

the working space is the ort 21 which communicates with the exp osionchamber as previously described.

In the operation of the compression pump, the piston wings as they. passfrom engagement with. the smallest arc of the cylinder into engagementwith the largest arc and from thence on until they are opposite theinlet port 46, tend to create vacuums so that as soon as the'port 46 isuncovered by the piston wing, the charge will be drawn quickly into theworking space 15 and as the piston continues its movement, the wing willthen operate as a suction pump for the purpose of drawing in anadditional quantity of the explosive charge, while-its forward face willoperate to compress the charge previously admitted and to force such"compressed charge out through the connecting port 21 and into theexplosion That end of the port 21 which communi cates with the explosionchamber is substantially parallel with the axis of the main shaft and isbored out for the rece tion of a valve seat member 50 that refera theform of a tubular casin aving o fie'end enlarged and provided wit atapered seat for the reception of a correspondin ly shaped valve 51. Thevalve 51 is carried by a stem 52 that is slidable. in bearings formed byspiders 53 and on the stem is a shoulder 54 against which bears'one endof a spring 55 tending to maintain the valve in its closed position. Thevalve is'held in closed position so lon as the pressure in the explosionchamber ism excess of that in the compression chamber of the pump, andthere ly is will always be a closing pressure sufficient to maintain thevalve in closed position until. after each of the operating piston wingsrides outward against the bars 38 into engagement with the largestportion of the cylinder and then the pressure being reduced below thatin the chamber of the compression pump, a fresh supply of explosivecompound will be forced into the explosion chamber and will be ignitedat the propertime by the spark plug.

The engine is of very simple construction and re uires no valveoperating mechanism, while t e s eed and power may be readily controlled5y contro quality of the explosive compound allowed to enter the pumpingcylinder through the port 46. i

What is claimed is 1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a pair ofcylinders arranged side by side, and each having curved surfaces ofdifierent mg the quantity or radii, pistons working in the cylinders,21- Y shaft carrying both pistons, wings carried by the pistons, one ofsaid cylinders,- and the piston working therein operating as a pump, andthe other cylinder having an exp osion chamber in its wall (past whichchamber the piston of said cylin one end with the pum cylinder, and atthe other end with the exp osion chamber.

2. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a pair of c linders arrangedside by side, pistons working in the cylinders, a shaft carrying bothpistons, wings carried by the pistons, one of said cylinders and thepiston 3. In a rotary internal combustion engine,

a pair of cylinders arranged side by side, pistons working in thecylinders, a'shaft carrying both pistons, wings carried by the pistons,one of said cylinders and the piston working therein operating as apump, and the other cylinder having an explosion chamber in its wallpast which the piston of said cylinder travels, a partition between thecylinders, said partition having a passage communicating at one end withthe pump cylinder, and at the other end with the explosion chamber, anda valve in said passage, said valve "being held in closed position whensubjected to the action of the exploded gases.

4. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a pair of cylinders arrangedside by side, and each having curved surfaces of difi'erent radii,pistons working in the cylinders, a shaft carrying both pistons, wingscarried by the pistons, one of said cylinders and the piston workingtherein operating as a pump, and the other cylinder having an explosionchamber in its Wall past which the piston of said cylinder travels, arib extending over the discharge mouth of the 'explosionchamher, and apartition between the cylinders,

er travels, and a parti-- 'tion between the cylinders, said partitionhaving a valved passage communicating atsaid partition having a valvedpassage communicating at one end with the amp cylinder, and at the otherend with t e explosion chamber.

5. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided withcurved portions of di erent radii, inlet and exhaust ports communicatingwith the cylinder, 9. piston drum, piston wings projecting from thedrum, and an auxiliary exhaust port leading from the main exhaust portto the inner wall'of the cylinder and terminating at the latterapproximately at the juncture ofthe surfaces of larger and smallerradii.

.6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with an enginecylinder and piston therein, of a char e pumping cylinder havingportions of di erent radii, a piston arranged in saidc linder, aplurality of piston wings carried by the piston drum,

and a suction inlet port communicating with that portion of the cylinderof largest radius, and distant from that portion of the cylinder ofsmallest radius'to thereby ermit the-formation of a partial vacuum beore the opening of the port in the discharge leading from the cylinderand through which the charge is forced under pressure.

7. In a. rotary engine of the type described, a piston wing havin itsends and outer edge provided with a 5 0t, and a pair of spring stripsmounted in said slots, each of the strips extending across the slot atthe outer edge, and. each being further provided with a single armfitting within the slot at one end of the wing, the strips being furtherprovided with parallel arms which .are disposed in staggered relation toprevent the leakage of the operating fluid.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DALLAS C. HATHAVVAY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. SOMERVILLE, PERRY W. Mmmn.

